Warrior Children
by milacarr
Summary: Part 3 of 3. Booth and Brennan are in LA, they've gotten a case that they don't exactly know what to do about. But Booth knows who does. Booth discovers just who protects his world from theirs. Complete
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer- I own nothing that you recognize. I had a storyline, I just had to borrow some characters to make it complete. They'll be back by breakfast time, I promise.__ I promise it belongs to Joss __Whedon_

This is a story of a warrior. A warrior who had no place in the world, a warrior whose life is left uncompleted. For him we fight, for the innocents who shiver in their beds, for the not so innocents that have chosen to fight for their rights, and for the not so innocents who have chosen to fight against the evil that lurks in the dark of night.

"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless." Natalie answered the phone while pacing through her office in the hotel.

"Natalie? Hey, it's Seeley." Seeley's familiar deep voice, so much like her brother's, had her stopping and leaning against her desk.

"Oh, hey Seeley. What's up?" Natalie spoke into the headset she had instead of the phone receiver. She pulled out her desk chair and poked her laptop awake.

"Well, to be honest I'm in LA on a case and thought you might be able to help me." Seeley began. A woman's voice in the background telling him to turn there made Natalie's head tilt.

"Ah, you've got that partner of yours with you. Where are you?" Natalie asked as she tapped into a computer file and penciled in an appointment. An appointment for her family was hardly necessary, but Natalie knew Angel and Spike would get it on their phones the moment she pressed enter, and seeing how she was quite worried about her vigilante lads, she didn't mind calling them home any moment. She finished putting the appointment in and pressed enter, then waited for Seeley's response. Seeley named an intersection and she began to give directions, exiting her office and going to the lobby, where Fox had his face pressed to the glass of the revolving door. She laughed slightly and gave Fox a spin in the door. He slumped against the glass and glared at her as he spun.

"What's so funny, Nat?" Seeley asked as he pulled up outside. Natalie ignored him for a moment, kneeling down next to the door, stopping it to pull out her adopted son.

"Just wait a minute to come in, okay?" Natalie answered Seeley as she stood, pinching Fox's cheek gently, affectionately.

"You sad they left you behind, bub?" Natalie wiggled her fingers to Seeley, inviting him in before turning the fingers on Fox. She heard the phone disconnect as Seeley hung up and she turned the fingers on Fox, whose laughter had even Seeley's partner grinning at the girl and her son. Brennan took a moment to study the girl. She wore a pair of very low rise jeans, so tight she thought they might pop off at any moment, and a teal colored tank top. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, the very end of it resting at the waistband of her jeans. She was barefoot, which was odd considering she was supposed to be working. The boy she was hugging had a pair of brown corduroy pants on with a cream colored shirt bearing a sleeping bear. Brown shoes with orange stripes were on the boy's feet.

After a moment, Natalie let Fox down and he ran off, disappearing amongst the corridors and the rooms, and the big potted plants that were his playground. Natalie turned to Seeley and his partner. Seeley opened his arms to her and she stepped into his embrace, hugging her relative with the ease of hugging her brother. She stepped back after a moment or so and looked to the partner, offering a hand. Brennan stared at the girl in the tank top and low ride jeans, studying her once more. Her body was toned, like an athlete's and she was a few inches taller than herself. And the look in her eyes spoke of years, hard years. Brennan hesitantly took the hand offered.

"Natalie McKay at your service. My brother Angel and my husband should be back soon. Why don't we go upstairs and get something to eat?" Natalie shook hands with the partner, who introduced herself after a nudge from Booth.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan. How do you know Booth?" Brennan asked, her eyes sweeping over the marbled lobby of the old hotel.

"We're related somehow, I believe." Natalie hitched a shoulder as she turned, the same shoulder that bore an interesting mark. Brennan kept quiet for a moment as Natalie began to walk through the foyer, up a short flight of stairs to the second floor where the kitchen and things like living areas were. They passed Fox playing on the stairs, plugging in sets of Christmas lights in the electrical sockets.

"Ah, Natalie, isn't that dangerous for a three year old to be doing?" Brennan asked Natalie as they stepped into the kitchen.

"Actually, no. The electrical sockets at Fox's level have all been reduced in output to barely power his toys." Natalie said. She began coffee, inviting them to sit at the kitchen table. A platter of sandwiches was placed in the middle of the table. Natalie smiled and looked sheepish. "I wish we had something… more. We eat a pretty informal lunch around here though. On the left is turkey, I know how you like turkey sandwiches Seeley, and on the right is an avocado and bean sprout with a little tofu cream cheese." Natalie turned to pour herself a glass of juice.

"How did you know I enjoy vegetarian?" Brennan and Booth each took a sandwich and began to eat.

"I pegged you right then." Natalie grinned as she took an avocado sandwich. "I actually didn't plan to make these today, but they're one of my favorites. Seeley once mentioned you would go to lunches and find out there were no vegan options. So I whipped em together while you guys were getting lost in my fair city." Natalie grinned and bit into the sandwich. Brennan nodded. This girl was definitely something.

A phone rang somewhere, and Natalie looked to her waistband where the headset plugged into a small box. Pressing a button, she began to speak softly.

"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless." Natalie began.

"Look sweetheart, we know Booth's over there. We'll be home in two shakes, but you're gonna be okay seein' what he wants, yeah?" Spike's voice filled the headset. Natalie agreed, and hung up. Facing her guests, she sat at the table.

"Angel and Spike are going to be a few minutes. What have we got?" Natalie looked at her relation and his partner. Brennan reached into a briefcase and pulled out a case file, which she pushed in front of Natalie. Natalie opened the file and looked inside. What she saw was not pretty. There were pictures of several victims, but what surprised her was that… most of them had the sign of Power branded into their wrists, which meant that all these victims were Witches of the high middle levels. Willow wore such a brand on her shoulder, and Natalie her self bore one on her shoulder. The placement of the brands depicted the degree of magic used. The wrists were all practitioners of the middling powers, meaning spells for making coffee, minor scrying, altering clothes, glamours and such. Although their spells were high powered and never faltering, they were still just dabbler spells, nothing like resurrecting slayers or banishing demons. Natalie looked up at Booth, biting her bottom lip. She was quite unsure what to tell him that was for sure. The victims were burnt alive it looked like, in large pentagrams made of salt.

"You recognize it, I can see it on your face." Seeley said as he looked at Natalie. Natalie looked down at the file once more, shaking her head. The tank top she wore wouldn't hide much, she knew. Fox trotted in, telling her he wanted his chocolate strawberry milk, and Natalie got up, getting down a small sports bottle and filling it with milk. She grabbed the strawberry milk mix and added just enough for Fox to get the flavor. She twisted the cap on the bottle, and then handed it to Fox. The boy danced around, shaking the bottle before taking a deep drink of the bottle. Fox saw the sandwiches and demanded one. Natalie and Fox argued then, the bossy little boy look in his eye. Natalie and Fox argued about saying please, Fox finally saying the word and getting his sandwich. Brennan elbowed Booth and caught his eye.

"She has the tattoo as well." Brennan nodded towards Natalie, who turned to watch them.

"Yes, I know what it means as well. I just don't know how much to tell you, is all." Natalie poured them each a cup of coffee, adding cream or sugar to the cups as they asked.

"Natalie, it's important that you tell us everything you know about this subject." Seeley took the mug from Natalie, staring at her as if he could will her to tell everything.

"I don't think you could handle what I could tell you, Seeley." Natalie answered, hearing footsteps on the stairs. Spike and Angel appeared a few moments later and Fox flew in to launch himself at their legs. Angel caught the boy up while he moved into the room. Natalie pushed the file to the two, who looked over it wordlessly. After a moment, Angel lifted his head, his mouth set in a grim line.

"What do you want to know, Seeley?" Angel leaned against the wall as he watched his doppelganger. Seeley looked at Angel.

"Everything." Seeley answered. Angel pushed up off the wall and stared hard for a moment.

"What you see, you can never unsee." Angel said cryptically as he then gave an address and a time. "Don't be late, but definitely don't be early." Angel turned to his sister. "Natalie, call Willow, Amanda and Chris and get them here ASAP." Angel looked towards Spike, and then nodded towards downstairs. Spike read the meaning and went downstairs, checking the security, the magical wards and the placement of weapons. After a moment, Angel turned back to Seeley and Dr. Brennan.

"Seeley, after tonight we'll need you to reside here." Angel looked to Dr. Brennan and looked puzzled. "I'm sorry; I don't know your name." Brennan looked puzzled. No one even commented on the way that Booth and this… Angel person looked so much alike. And what amazed her was that the three went from familial stances to almost military like precision. Although Angel had looked as if he would have some argument from Spike, she saw Spike just turn and leave as he instructed with his eyes. She looked in awe for a moment before she realized he was talking again.

"Brennan, Dr. Temperance Brennan." Brennan answered. Angel shifted the boy to his left arm, then took her hand and pressed her lips to her knuckles, a gentle brief kiss.

"Enchanted, Dr. Brennan, I'm Angel McKay. Natalie's older brother." Angel smiled and then led them to their temporary rooms.

Meanwhile, Natalie was booking flights for Chris and Amanda. Amanda had the brand on her shoulder. Chris was unmarked, but there was no reason to leave Chris by himself during this moment of crisis. Natalie's phone was pressed to her ear, and she was trying to talk reason into Willow.

"Willow. You have no idea who's after us, hon. I've never led you wrong." Natalie pleaded. Finally, after a moment she whispered to her friend, her voice filled with dread. "It's the Phoenician Willow. They're trying to bring The Phoenician back to life." Natalie heard Willows gasp, and then Willow agreed.

"I'll be down in four hours." Willow disconnected. Natalie sat back against the pillows on her bed, tossing the phone a few feet away before rubbing her hands over her eyes. She felt the mattress dip, the Spike's head rest on her stomach.

"The Phoenician, eh?" Spike asked. Natalie nodded. The Phoenician had a name, but no one knew it anymore. He was a being with almost God-like powers, one that old Magicians had revered in the BC's and early AD's. He had been able to escape his prison a few times over the centuries, wreaking havoc, destruction and revenge for being imprisoned. Natalie imagined he was going after the same class of Magicians who had imprisoned him before, so that similar folk could not imprison him again. Natalie reached down and stroked Spike's head as she thought through this.

"We've totally got to get into research mode, Spike. But with concentrating on allowing Seeley to see parts of this world he didn't see before, we have to delay that." Natalie sighed and stared at the ceiling.

"Why can't we just tell him to forget about the case and to let us handle it?" Spike sat up and stood, finding his cigarettes and lighting one up.

"You know that would never work. Seeley would never just stand back and let someone else do what he sees as his job." Natalie stood to, then picked up the laptop and forwarded the flight information to Amanda's cell phone.

"So we meeting him at Lorne's bar?" Spike asked as he went over to the closet, beginning to look through his clothes.

"Yeah. Which is a whole other reason I don't like it. It'll be letting some of the filthiest creatures around think that Angel and I have another womb mate, when in all actuality we have NO idea why he looks like us. I imagine though, that he's just some distant relative. He looks like my fathers side of the family. They all pretty much looked like Angel." Natalie grinned and went next to Spike, rifling through her clothes. A little leather skirt landed on the bed, with a shirt that was barely a three inch strip of leather. Paired with her green satin duster and a pair of knee high combat boots, she would be perfect for the bar that night.

"I'm jus' not sure this is a good idea pet." Spike said as his arms came around her. Her fingers stole his cigarette, and she took a long drag off the smoke.

"Yeah, me neither love." Natalie agreed.

Meanwhile, Brennan and Booth were in the set of rooms down the hall, sitting in the little living room and staring at the case file. They could hear Fox riding a tricycle up and down the hallway, occasionally crashing into their door. Once when Brennan had peeked out, Fox just stared at her a moment before growling at her, a grin on his face. Brennan had quickly shut the door, and looked at a grinning Booth.

"That kids definitely a piece of work Bones. He was at mine and Anden's place for like a whole week. Kid's a bit bonkers, but he's all good." Booth grinned at his partner, who sat down once more.

"Do you think we should trust them?" Brennan looked to the door as she asked that.

"You remember when Anden's relative died and we had to go to Florida?" Booth asked as he toyed with the file.

"I remember you calling me from the airport and telling me that you were leaving, yes." Brennan replied.

"Well, we went to Anden's house. Natalie opened the door, she had Fox with her, who at that time had been to our house less than a month ago. Anden brought him along to our house before she took him to California. The kid was shaking all the time. Afraid to go in his diaper because someone would hurt him. We would be sitting there eating dinner, he'd be in his chair, staring at the plate of food like if he ate, someone would hurt him." Seeley remembered. He sat back in his chair. "When we first went I was wary. I thought Anden had just been watching Natalie's child, so I was on the offensive. No one has a healthy home life and makes a kid as twitchy as that. But after a moment I saw that Fox was happier. He was running around the house, scolding that Billy Idol look alike, and screeching at Angel as if… well as if he knew he was safe there."

"That's your reasoning, Booth? That they can't be bad because they have a good kid?" Brennan stared at Seeley.

"That's only part of it Bones. When I was there, Natalie was looking at some pictures. Pictures of some pretty gruesome ritual killings. When I saw our pictures, I remembered the tattoo she and her friend had on their shoulders. So the first thing I did when I got here was to call Natalie. We'd kept in touch since Anden's funeral, you know, family that has high risk jobs and all. They fight just like we do. They give faces and lives back to the victims." Seeley stood and went to the door.

"So you think we should trust them." Brennan checked with Booth.

"Yeah Bones, I think we should trust them." Booth opened the door and waved a hand. The tricycle was still in the hall, but it was abandoned. "Let's get going to that place."

Natalie, Spike and Angel had gone to Lorne's a little while earlier. Lorne had squealed when he saw Fox, and set Fox up with a couple of other little munchkins brought in with a couple of Trinok demons, which were basically just big hippie demons, nothing bad there. Normally Natalie would never have dreamed of taking Fox to a demon bar, but seeing as Lorne had a place for the kiddies, she would just go check on him every once in a while. Sitting down at the bar, she looked at Lorne.

"We gotta cousin and his partner coming in tonight." She looked at Lorne through slitted eyes.

"Well honey, congratulations! I never knew you still had family around here!" Lorne exclaimed at he set the Malibu and pineapple juice in front of her. She sipped her drink for a moment.

"Two problems. One, he's a fed." Natalie held up her hand to silence Lorne's protests. "Second, he's completely human and looks like Angel, cept like ten years older." Natalie frowned slightly as Lorne swung into a completely fake panic attack. After a moment, he peeked at her expression, which looked slightly bored. He composed himself after a moment and looked at her.

"So why ya bringing him here sweet thing?" Lorne looked to Spike and Angel, who flanked her at the bar.

"He got wind of the killings in honor of The Phoenician. He's been assigned to catch the 'serial killer'. Seeley won't stop until he gets someone put to justice." Angel answered.

"What makes you think he'll settle for your justice stud muffin," Lorne asked as he poured Spike's beer. Angel got blood, as he thought drinking blood around Fox was a little unsettling, and Fox was in the back.

"Just know his type, that's all." Angel shrugged. The three turned on their stools to watch Seeley and Brennan push through the door. Brennan looked up at a man who was nearing seven feet tall and gasped. The Kevlock demon stared down at her and whuffled a greeting to her. Kevlocks looked just like Chewbacca from Star Wars. Brennan's mouth opened and she grabbed at Booth, who looked startled up at the demon. A moment later, Spike had them both by the elbows and was leading them over to a table in a relatively quiet corner.

"What were those things?" Booth demanded, his hands on his hips, holding his suit jacket back. Angel looked at his near twin and smiled softly. Brennan took a moment to study her new companions. Natalie's hair was once more up in that very high ponytail. It came down to rest on the small of her back, which was covered by an emerald green duster that fell to her ankles. She wore a very, very tiny leather skirt, and a strip of leather barely covered her breasts. She wore knee high boots, and… it looked like a stick of wood was at her side. A gun was at the small of her back, Brennan could see. Booth's breathing caught next to her, and she knew he was looking at the girl. Her eyes flicked to Natalie's husband, who stood protectively at her back. He wore a grey tee shirt with some sort of black leather pants. Combat boots were under the pants, and he wore a leather duster over that. He was smoking a cigarette, something Brennan had yet to see him without. Finally, Brennan's eyes flicked over to Angel. A button down royal blue shirt of what looked like velvet hung over a pair of black trousers. He wore boots, but they didn't look like Spike's. He wore a duster as well… As did half the patrons in this bar, Brennan noticed.

"Welcome to my world, Seeley. That was a Kevlock demon. What you have in those files are sacrifices to The Phoenician." Angel sat with his mug. Lorne sidled up with fresh drinks. He set two beers on the table for Booth and Brennan, and then disappeared, leaving a gaping Brennan staring after him.

"He's green!" Brennan exclaimed. Natalie nodded and took another swallow of her drink as she noticed the music getting very quiet. A spotlight hit the bar.

"He's a Pylean. He's from another dimension-y type thing." Natalie shrugged before standing to get a better look at the bar. Suddenly Fox popped up on the bar and began to shimmy, yelling at the top of his voice "Beer song" by the Pogues. Natalie's head dropped down to her hand, and she groaned softly.

"Fuck me. I'm so going to kill me a Pylean." Natalie swore as she shrugged off her coat, slipping the pointed stick of wood into Spike's hand. She tugged the gun from her waistband and handed it to her husband. Glaring at Lorne, she strode towards the bar to collect her ham of a child. Unknown to her, her face had changed into her Game Face, and she snarled to Lorne as she passed him, Lorne stepping back a few feet. Natalie grabbed Fox off of the bar and waved to the patrons before moving back to the table. Fox patted Natalie's face and giggled.

"Naughty Nanny. Be hooman 'gain" Fox said as he poked her nose.

Booth rubbed his eyes as he saw pretty young Natalie turn into a creature with horrendous facial ridges and some awful yellow eyes. Booth saw elongated canines and all pointed teeth as she snarled at the poor bar keep. Booth struggled to fight the urge to fire his gun at Natalie. His hands drifted down to his sides where they clenched roughly.

"What are you people?" Booth demanded as he grabbed his beer and swallowed. He didn't stop until he had drained the bottle. Natalie stepped over, her face smoothed out once more to her resting face. Spike stepped in front of her, trying to shove him behind her. Natalie stayed behind him, but peeked out to stare at Seeley.

"Seeley darling, are ya alright?" Natalie's head tilted as she stared at the man.

"What…are…you…?" Seeley ground out once more. Angel looked to his family, and then spread out his hands.

"Warriors for the Powers That Be." Angel said and looked to his companions once more. "Day walking vampires. Basically mutts of the demon world. The world you, Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan, have now entered."

After a few moments convincing Booth and Brennan to talk in a more comfortable place, they took them back to the Hotel. Sitting in the lobby, an open neutral place, they stared at one another.

"So you three are vampires?" Booth said weakly as he stared at the trio. Natalie sat in the middle of the men; Fox curled in her lap as he snored lightly. Fox's forehead rested on his tiny knee, and as he watched, Natalie tried to gently straighten out the boy. But as usual, Fox slumped back down to rest his forehead against his knee. Looking at Booth's face she shrugged gently.

"He seems to prefer sleeping this way. Just looking at it makes my hamstring twinge, but he likes it. In the carseat, in his bed.." She stopped her rambling and went quiet once more. Angel rested a hand on his sister's knee.

"Why don't you put him up to bed, Nat?" Angel instructed quietly. Natalie bowed her head and stood, walking quietly upstairs. Spike turned his attention from his wife to the partners.

"We're… not normal vampires, I suppose. See, Peaches and Pet there were leprechauns in their youth." Spike grunted as Seeley interrupted him.

"Now you're telling me leprechauns exist too? Are they little and dressed in green?" Booth jumped to his feet and began to pace back and forth in the lobby.

"We used to be. Now we're an offshoot breed. We look just like you." Angel nodded.

"Anyways, as I was trying to say before I was rudely interrupted." Spike glared at Angel as Angel snorted. "They were leprechauns before Angel was turned in the 1750's. Angel would have been a day walker then, but his creator's demon was too strong, and it locked the… you know what, basically it's this. Our nature's mingled and now we're like… hybrids, yeah that's it. Angel made me, and hundred years later, Nat found us and we got ourselves hitched, "Spike stood and ran his hands through his hair. "We're on the side of the white hats, y'see. Got ourselves souls and all that humanity shite. Makes it nigh on impossible to bite one of you blighters. Like I said, it's complicated."

Booth and Brennan stared at the two that were left, wide eyed and disbelieving. Finally, Brennan broke the silence.

"I believe that." She said quietly. Angel smiled to her, and it threw her mind. He was so like her partner, except… his smile was sad, lonely even. She smiled hesitantly back before Booth startled the smile off her face.

"You have so much trouble believing God exists and you believe this?" Booth threw his hands up and began to pace once more.

"Are you saying that you don't believe this, Booth?" Brennan stood and faced her partner.

"No, I believe it. No one would have gone through that much trouble to make a joke, you know? The green dude, the hairy people. All those strange looking people at that bar." Booth rubbed his hands over his face once more. This night was getting very interesting, and all he really wanted to do was get a very stiff drink. Natalie came down the stairs once more, pausing at the landing. She looked to Angel, who nodded. Natalie moved in quietly to sit on the couch once more.

"What's going on? Natalie, why are you acting like that?" Seeley had noted the way she almost begged permission to enter the room.

"The brand of Power is on us all." Natalie nodded to Angel, who rolled up the shirt on his right wrist to show them the mark. Spike just shrugged and lifted his own wrist. Brennan and Booth exchanged a look before looking to Natalie. "I defer to Angel in my actions as it is his week to power the wards that keep our home safe."

"Why is their mark on their wrists while yours is on your shoulder?" Brennan asked. Natalie shifted as she settled into the couch tiredly.

"It's because they are middle level wielders of the craft. Magic, friends. My brand is closer to my center, my store of power. It means I am a Master Wielder, the most powerful of our kind. There are few of us now. Tomorrow, the others in the United States will be in the Hotel. Well, the ones whom are alive. Most have gone on travelling to the Ancient Sites for the winter solstice." Natalie looked to Angel, who had felt the breach of the wards as well.

"Speaking of whom, one is here." Natalie stood as another redhead entered. Booth looked at the girl and rolled her eyes, grunting softly. _'What is it with redheads __here?'_ he thought to himself as he stood.

"Goddess be, what IS it with the traffic in Los Angeles anyways?" Willow demanded as she set her bags down. She looked at those gathered and for a moment, she looked stunned. She turned to Natalie."What the hell? Two Angel's? Well well well, isn't Buffy just gonna be so happy with herself?" Willow grinned.

"You're not bringing her here yet." Natalie said softly, though the words held steel. Willow recognized her tone and nodded, bringing her hands up and apart, a sheepish grin on her face.

"No. Giles wouldn't let me come without Xander though. I think they've been getting on another's nerves again." Willow grinned widely as Xander came through the revolving door. Or, tried to. He spun round and round in the glass doors before Willow stopped the door with her abilities.

"Whoa. Willow. That was some ride." Xander said as he came through the door. He stood next to Willow, a goofy grin on his face.

"Natalie. Dead Boy. Dead Boy, the second. Spike, how are ya? And… lady." He said by way of greeting. Blinking as he looked to Booth, he just shrugged.

"Is this one evil? Can we kill him?" Xander grinned then went upstairs.

"Don't wake the baby Xander!" Natalie called after him. Willow stared at Natalie, then back upstairs.

"My…you have been busy." Willow said, and then disappeared.

Later that night, Seeley sat in the living room of his suite and thought about what was going on. He tried to be scared, worried… even disturbed but in truth, things were making sense now. Much more sense than he imagined Anden's cryptic words would ever make. Booth went out onto the balcony and leaned over. The faint strains of 'California Dreamin' came to his ears upon the wind.

"California Dreamin'? More like California Hallucinations." Seeley muttered as he went back inside and tried to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer- I own nothing except maybe things you don't recognize. Willow and Xander belong to Joss, Booth and Brennan belong to Hart Hanson and Fox. Just playing, nothing is permanent, right?_

Breakfast the next morning was interesting. Booth came into the kitchen where Angel stood by the stove in a muscle shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Natalie was at a counter near the refrigerator, slicing up fruit. Booth nodded to both, trying to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He smelled coffee, but his eyes weren't working enough to catch sight of the pot yet. Finally he saw it in an alcove near the entrance to the kitchen. Two industrial sized pots of the blessed substance, with mugs stacked right by.

"Bless you guys, bless you." He grinned before grabbing for a mug and filling it, taking a gulp which nearly seared his tongue to the roof of his mouth.

"So for breakfast today we've got your choice of pancakes, French toast or fresh fruit. Of course if you don't like those, there's always the old standby of cold cereal or oatmeal." Natalie stood by Seeley as she sipped out of a mug.

"You guys put on quite a spread." Seeley looked over to Angel who was pouring pancake batter into artful swirls…which just ended up being some cartoon characters head.

"We are warriors, Seeley. Gotta feed an army to keep 'em going like an army." Natalie pointed out. She smiled to Angel as he flipped the pancake onto a plate, just as Spike came through carrying Fox on his hip, Spike being shirtless and wearing a pair of sweatpants like Angel. The poor boy clutched at Spike as if he would fall off any second, half asleep and trying to be wholly asleep. Spike put Fox in a chair at the table, taking the plate from Natalie and setting it in front of Fox, but about a foot in front of him.

"I'll have a short stack of pancakes then, if you don't mind." Seeley looked toward Fox. There was syrup right on the table, but none on his pancakes yet. Seeley reached out to grab the syrup to pour some on the pancakes, but Spike's hand shot out and stopped him. He nodded to the boy, whose head all of a sudden fell to the table, half way in his plate.

"He'll put the syrup on when he gets the smell of the hotcakes and wakes up." Spike told Booth as he released him. He stood, going towards Natalie, grabbing her in a hug and kissing her. "I didn't do that when ye wakes up, I'll do it now then." Spike grinned and released her, rummaging through the refrigerator. Natalie took her plate to the table. Pancakes with fresh fruit filled her plate. She smiled to Seeley a moment before bowing her head and saying a quick prayer, and then rubbed a hand along Fox's back.

"C'mon love. Time to wake up, your pancakes are getting chilled." Natalie crooned to the boy. His head groggily lifted, staring at her with sleepy eyes. He blinked as if trying to focus, and then a bright grin spread over his face.

"You make me pampakes?" Fox crowed and stood on his chair to grab for the syrup, pouring a healthy amount over top. He dug in with his fork, all the while grunting and groaning. Finally he shoved his plate towards Natalie, who only smiled and cut the pancakes into cubes. It was a morning ritual, after all.

And then the rest of the inhabitants of the hotel really started trickling in. First Bones came in, looking fresh and dressed for the day. She got herself a cup of coffee, and then started towards the fruit and toast. Seeley's breakfast appeared at his elbow a moment later.

"Eat up then. We've decided you and Temperance are to be headed to the airport with Natalie there to pick up the ankle gnawers." Angel sat across from Seeley at the table, his own mug clutched in his hands. From the look in his eyes, Booth decided he didn't want to question what it was.

"Ankle biters? More children are going to be running around here then?" Seeley asked as Willow and Xander came in. Xander headed for the fridge while Willow took a seat next to Brennan. Brennan eyed the girl who wore an oversized tee shirt as a nightgown, and the boy who wore boxers and a tee shirt. They were obviously at home here, a fact reinforced when Angel got up to make their breakfast.

"Teens, actually." Natalie pointed out as she got out a mug, filling it with water and then adding a handmade tea bag. She popped it into the microwave. Xander sat with a bowl of cereal, shoving spoonful after spoonful into his mouth as he and Fox made faces at each other. "You see, for some reason the age of man has entered an age of magic. Witches being born now days have natural abilities off the scale. We're also not very…accepted into local magic circles, which is why I'm the oldest in the US at the time. We don't get invites to the Ancient Places. Willow's a couple years younger, and Amanda is… what, sixteen now?" Natalie looked to Willow as she took the tea out of the microwave. Willow looked up from the plate Angel had put in front of her moments before, and nodded. Willow looked down to the tall stack of pancakes, watching as Xander tugged it between them and started in on those too. Occasionally she'd push his fork away and get some, but Xander had always done this, and she was used to it. Natalie placed the tea in front of Willow, then looked to the clock over the stove.

"Okay, Morning Briefing guys." Angel turned off the stove and moved to where everyone could see him. "Remember, cell phones on at all times, even if it's on silent. Let's be safe out there. Willow, when Natalie's group gets back from the airport, introduce Temperance to the library. You'll take Amanda, Chris and Temperance down and try to find anything you can. Seeley, I'll take you with me and we'll go see if… anyone has any information they'd be willing to donate. Remember guys, Natalie's going grocery shopping today. If anyone has any preferences, please tell her." Angel looked around.

"Yeah. I pretty much never say no to this kind of stuff. Anyways, anything you guys can do around the hotel would be appreciated." Natalie added.

"Okay guys, let's get going." Angel nodded and went out. Brennan looked to Natalie, who shrugged slightly.

"You do most of the domestic chores around here?" Brennan asked. Natalie shook her head.

"Not really. The only thing that's structured around here is meals, and even then we trade off. Laundry gets tossed down chutes in the hotel, someone separates it when they're down there and shoves a load in." Natalie shrugged. "But we found that to avoid arguments about the meals, we write them down in advance when we have company. That way if anyone has any problems, they just… talk about it." Natalie showed Brennan the list of meals on the fridge. Next to it there was a wish list for the grocery list.

"You guys have done this before." Seeley smiled at Natalie, whose eyes slid downward, sadly.

"Couple times," she agreed. Willow reached out and patted her hand slightly. After a moment, Natalie looked to Xander. "Hey ole buddy, ole pal." She began. Xander looked up at her.

"Yes, oh pretty manipulator?" Xander answered as he drank the last of the milk from his bowl.

"Would you watch the Foxie?" she asked. Xander looked down to the kid, then back up at her and nodded once. "Yay! So you don't have to do much, just keep an ear out. He knows where he's supposed to play and where he's not allowed to play." Natalie said before standing. She looked at the clock once more.

"What time do Chris and Amanda get off the plane?" Seeley asked.

"Half hour. You should get dressed quickly, and then we'll go. I'll get the car, meet you out front." Natalie said, and then left.

Soon enough they were back, and the hotel filled with chattering voices from top to bottom. Quiet areas became few and far between as Chris and Xander went through, chasing one another with wicked looking swords, occasionally even… striking at each other. As Brennan and Booth went through trying to find the library, they were interrupted when Angel and Spike came running through, shouting at the top of their voice for Natalie. Natalie appeared from a side doorway, looking at Booth, who pointed down the hallway. Her head tilted for a moment and then Natalie, Willow and Amanda took off at a full run after Spike and Angel. And then there was Fox, who was doing something they had never seen before. He was sitting in a chair, staring at them calmly, almost like that Damien kid. The creepy triple six kid from that one movie.

"Is it always like this?" Booth looked to Fox, not really expecting an answer. Fox stared at him as if he was crazy.

"Uh, yep! Where ya goin'?" Fox jumped off the chair to peer down the hallway.

"Trying to find the library, kiddo. But I think that's pointless as Mommy and Daddy just ran down there," Booth said as he looked down the hallway as well. Brennan put a hand on his arm, and then nodded to the open doorway where a small face, much like Fox's face, watched them. Booth turned towards the door, intending to push it open when Angel shouted from the stairs.

"Don't open it Seeley!" Angel shouted as he ran up, slamming the door tightly and moving to herd them back.

"What? Who is that?" Booth strained to see who it was.

"Shapeshifter. Take Fox downstairs." Angel ordered as Chris and Xander trotted up, swords at the ready.

"Angel, we should see this." Brennan looked to Angel even as he held them back while Xander slipped in, Chris covering his back.

"Not the time, I'm afraid. When we wage the all out battle, which is coming, we will need both of you. But for now, Spike and Natalie will be training you in the uses of stakes and swords. Guns alone cannot win this battle, I'm afraid." Angel explained as Chris came out holding a beheaded… gnome thing.

"You gotta be shittin' me. I thought you guys were hiding another kid in there, and that's what it was?" Booth demanded as he leaned in for a closer look. The shapeshifter's body came alive, wrapping it's hands around his throat, intending to strangle him. Angel and Chris sprang into action, prying the hands away with little effort. Chris nodded to Angel and then disappeared, going down the stairs. Booth rubbed his throat.

"That's why you need training. Demons and creatures react differently to different weapons. Time for a crash course." Angel promised and began to herd them downstairs.

"Now that's what I call a crash course, Bones." Booth said as he flopped down in a chair in the kitchen. He and Brennan were in workout clothes, drenched with sweat. Natalie and Spike had barely broken a sweat, and when Brennan blamed it all on their nature's, Spike had called Willow and Xander to go through the same workout. Neither of the humans had broken into a sweat either. Natalie came into the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator for a soda.

"Does any type of fighting break you guys into a sweat anymore?" Brennan asked as she wiped moisture from the back of her neck.

"The longer the battle, the more we sweat. The more magic used, the more movements… it all has a factor." Natalie explained as she consulted the menu. Willow wandered in and consulted the menu as well. They turned to one another, identical looks of dislike on their face.

"I say we order Chinese." Natalie said. Willow shrugged.

"Hell, I'm up for that." Spike poked his head into the kitchen before continuing on.

"Like Spike said, it sounds good." Willow grabbed a pen and paper and shouted for orders to be taken. Brennan and Booth put their orders in, while shouts came from the rest of the hotel.

"Has anyone seen Fox?" Natalie listened to the various sounds throughout the hotel. It was oddly silent, not even the sound of quiet breathing.

"Oh, yeah. Angel took him to check out some leads." Amanda dropped into a chair near Booth.

"So where is Angel?" Natalie asked as she once more sent herself searching through the house.

"Oh, he's right here." Angel said from the doorway. He had a fussing Fox in his arms, and a scowl on his face.

"I tell you time and time again, a toddler is NOT a suitable interrogation partner." Natalie scolded and took Fox from him.

"Got me the needed bits, so I'll take a chance and say it worked." Angel argued. Amanda looked to Booth and grinned.

"So, nice ta see ya again Seeley. And how's our girl Anden?" Amanda relaxed back into her seat and looked at her friend.

"Anden's doing great. Did that one movie that comes out this Friday. The clothes were inspired, I have to say. I don't know where she got them." Booth grinned to Amanda, winking to her gently. The drawings on Amanda's walls had inspired the clothes for the latest movie, and Anden never let Amanda forget it.

"I don't get it Booth. How do you know all the people here?" Brennan nudged her partner.

"I don't know em all Bones, I just know…most of em. Amanda is related to both Natalie and Anden," Booth patted Brennan on the shoulder.

"Speaking of movie. Amanda, you and I have to go to that party tonight. Michaela's party, she's sent a message to my phone telling me she's gotten some information. We'll have to dress, of course. Do you think Willow will want to go?" Natalie added as an afterthought.

"It's a Hollywood party Nat. Of course Willow'll wanna go, it's Michaela, her favorite actress." Amanda said as if it was so obvious.

"So Mic has information?" Angel said as he closed his phone from ordering food.

"S'what she says, Ang." Natalie confirmed. Angel grinned slightly.

"Take Seeley instead of me. Let's try a swap-eroo. How many invitations did we get?" Angel asked.

"Mic's invitations are always open ended. We could all go if we wanted to." Natalie grinned to her brother.

"Then again, your oaf of a husband would insult her again." Chris popped into the kitchen, closely followed by Xander once more.

"And you and Xander would hit on every available female… or unavailable, as the case may be." Natalie grinned to Chris, then nodded slightly.

"It'll be a fight soon. Might as well have some fun right? We'll meet downstairs at eight for… a look over." Natalie nodded to the assembled group.

"So we have to dress up?" Brennan looked to Angel. Angel nodded.

"You didn't pack anything, did you?" He smiled softly.

"I was coming here for work, not for… I guess I'll have to go shopping." At Brennan's sullen pout, Natalie and Amanda nodded. Shopping was fun, don't get the wrong idea, but there were more important things to do, and they understood completely.

"We go to these things all the time. You're about Anden's height, and I know she's stashed some of her things here before." Amanda looked upwards, as if to the rooms Anden and Seeley shared the last time they were here. Brennan looked at her partner, eyes wide.

"You've been here before?" She demanded. "And you still had to ask directions?" She tried not to laugh.

"It's a big place Bones. A big place," Seeley defended himself.

The party had been a success as far as finding information had gone. As for the behavior part, well… Let's just count it a good point that only one person had been tossed out.

Natalie sat back as Spike drove back to the hotel, Booth driving the second car behind them. Spike was still steaming about being tossed out, but he would get over it. Natalie patted his knee as he drove, her gaze drifting to the mirror. She sat up suddenly, both hands going to the window as she angled towards it.

"Oh my holy Christ." Natalie whimpered. Spike's gaze flicked over. She had rarely ever used that tone; he liked to call it the apocalypse tone.

"What, pet? What is it?" Spike asked as he slowed the car. Natalie shook her head and sat back, shaking slightly.

"Never mind… I think I just saw my dad." She whispered. Amanda leaned up from the back seat, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Really? But David would never come out here… would he?" Amanda tilted to look out the window as well.

"It must not be him. He wouldn't come out here for me." Natalie shook her head once more and took a deep breath.

Meanwhile, Xander was leaned over between the driver's and passenger's seat and Booth was sure he was going to kill the boy.

"No, I will not let you touch my gun. For the last time, no I will not let you touch my gun, and infinity no." Booth growled as he pulled into a parking space at the garage.

"Awww, you're such a fun sucker." Xander grumped and hopped out of the car, adjusting the tee shirt with the imprint of the tux shirt he was wearing.

"Yeah that's me. Mr. Fun Sucker." Booth agreed grimly as he scanned the surroundings before sliding out of the car. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't place his fingers on it. Car door's slammed in the parking garage, and his ears rung from it all slightly. Most of the group moved as if they were uneasy as well, he noticed. Natalie had a small dagger out, expertly palming it and passing it back into its hiding place as she moved. Suddenly, Willow shuddered, her head dropping back. Her mouth formed a perfect "o" as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. The lights blinked out, the garage suddenly plunged into perfect darkness. After a moment, beams of light came from her empty eyes, her open mouth. She rose into the air a foot or so, floating as if she were in space, or underwater.

"They are here." Her mouth moved, but the voice was not hers. It was otherworldly, deep and bass. It shook the walls slightly, and in the very dim light he could see Natalie, Amanda and Spike move into a formation, moving between the rest of the group. After a moment, Chris and Xander stopped blinking and produced their large swords, each moving into a flanking position at the edge of the day walking vampires. They dropped into a defensive position, eyes searching for things that Booth couldn't see. He took his gun out of the holster, pointed it towards the entrance to the garage even as he felt Brennan pulling her own pistol. Willow dropped back down, ending in a one kneed kneel as she blinked away the odd feelings left with her. Booth tilted his head at her, she nodded and stood. She stepped into a fighting stance, even as Spike's head tilted. A shadow stepped from the darkness, wrapping a heavy forearm around Spike's throat. Immediately the group stepped into action. Spike shook off the creature, moving with Chris and Xander to temporarily combat the creatures, even as the three women joined hands, chanting in some language Booth didn't recognize. Chris looked to the girls, then dropped to a kneel, his hands covering his head. After a moment, every one in the garage did the same, all but the girls who kept on chanting. Just as soon as Booth and Brennan dropped, the garage was filled with a bright, white light that ripped out from the girls, disrupting sound waves. It was so bright, you could hear it.

After a moment, Booth could hear the roar in his ears slow, then fade out completely. A gentle touch on his shoulder, and then he finally heard Willows voice. Amanda and she strolled along, touching each person on their shoulder to give the all clear. Natalie touched a corner of her mouth, her fingers coming away slightly red. She shrugged and rolled her shoulders.

"Shadows. The Phoenician has shadows now?" Natalie grumped as she waved her hands. "Let's get inside. I mean heck, what do these people got? 1-800- Demonic Henchmen? Planning an apocalypse help wanted dot com?" Natalie continued the rant as they trooped into the elevator. They had quite a bit of information now, and now it seemed that they were target numero uno. As fricken usual.

It was late, and Brennan couldn't sleep. She wandered down to the kitchen, finding Natalie sitting at the table licking chocolate off a spoon.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I could go, if you like." Brennan offered. Natalie shook her head, waved the spoon at the direction of the refrigerator.

"I made pudding. Help yourself, its chocolate." Brennan smiled at Natalie's offer and went to find a bowl. Sitting down across from the girl, she studied her intently.

"You look bothered by something." Brennan lifted her spoon to her mouth, intending to slip the spoon in, to savor the taste. Instead the spluttered, coughing. "Jesus, what did you put in here?"

"Forgot. Made People's Pudding. Full of vodka, that is." Natalie mumbled as she dug around in her bowl, looking for more pudding.

"What's wrong, Nat?" Brennan looked at the girl intently. Natalie just shrugged for a moment.

"I saw my father tonight." Natalie looked down at her empty bowl and heaved a heavy sigh. "And… every time I see the bastard, I deal with these feelings. Demon child, devil worshipper, that's what he called my brother and me. My other brother… the one that died four years ago." Natalie shook her head as she stood and paced. Brennan watched, oddly reminded of Booth.

"As far as I can see, you're none of those things." Brennan put in helpfully.

"I just wanted him to see me." Natalie whispered before shaking her head. "Oh well. He's a right bastard, and that's all I'll say." Natalie pushed up and put her bowl in the sink. "I've got a good life here. The guy shouldn't have that much of an impact on me anymore."

"Every girl wants to be Daddy's Little Girl, Nat. I know I did." Brennan stood to, rinsing out her bowl before moving next to the girl.

"Not every girl get's to be that, Bren." Natalie said grimly before stepping into the darkness.

"No, we don't." Brennan agreed before she too left the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer-Once more I own things you don't recognize. I don't own LA. I don't own Willow, Xander, Angel or Dawn… Not even Spike, alas. They're owned by Joss, and Booth and Brennan and Hodgins are owned by Hart Hanson and Fox._

Brennan studied the bodies laid out in a row in front of her. Each one looked perfectly normal, just… dead. And she wouldn't know why until her equipment got here from FBI headquarters in LA.

"What's the differential, Doc?" Spike asked as he sidled up with a plate. Handing the plate down to her, careful not to spill any of the potato chips or the sandwich Willow had made. It was Cajun turkey, something Brennan had requested after politely informing Natalie she liked vegetarian, but she wasn't strict.

"Can't overly tell until my equipment gets here." She sat, put the plate on the stomach of a body and picked up a potato chip as she stared at them, hard in thought.

By one o'clock, she could tell Angel that they victims were essentially… believe it or not, drained of their life force. Upon opening the bodies, she found their hearts missing, each one killed approximately one day after the previous. There were four bodies, meaning four days. It was basically creepy, and Angel disappeared after thanking her and patting her shoulder.

Chris and Amanda skidded into the basement room they were keeping the bodies in, grinning and pushing at each other playfully.

"Natalie said to ask you if you wanted anything. Soda, chips?" Chris prompted. Brennan asked for a soda and the two of them were gone. She noticed Chris almost never went anywhere alone, and as she trudged up the stairs, she caught Xander by the shoulder.

"You guys don't seem to give Chris any privacy." She stated, almost a question though.

"He's essentially an important part of our world. The lead of the infantry, you know? The head soldier." Xander trotted off, as if he had answered her question, but instead it had only spurred more to form in her head. Just why was a sixteen year old boy the head of the fighting team? Why did they fight? Weren't there adults to do this sort of thing? Brennan shook her head as she accepted a soda from Chris, who sat on the floor and smiled to her.

"Why do you guys fight?" Brennan asked as she took a sip of the drink.

"That's like asking… why you helped that lady across the street." Chris looked at the doc, for once his face not smiling, just… interested.

"Not every one does that, you know." She defended her question.

"I know. But if you have an ability, and the problem is there, why not do something about it?" Chris said. "My mother was… a warrior. She died not long after I was born. My father became distant, he sent me to my grandmother. I met Natalie when I was in kindergarten. We weren't friends at first. I thought she was a crazy kid. She did things like… attempt to beat a kid with a ruler for not listening to the teacher." Brennan had to smile at that one.

"When did you become friends?" She asked softly.

"Beginning of what would have been her first day of college. Anden, Booths cousin or something, could see things. She had Natalie go back to kindergarten so she would go through school with me and Mandy." Chris gave a little sigh. "We started being friends somewhere around fifth grade, and she was still weird. We'd have a sleepover, and Natalie would slip away for hours. Then when I was twelve or so, she woke Mandy's memories… Mandy was messing around with a spell and activated my slayer gene. Annnd… Long story short, they never leave me alone. See, only girls are supposed to be slayers. But since my mother was a slayer, the gene is SUPPOSED to lay dormant in me, but she called it up somehow."

"And that's why Xander called you the head soldier?" Brennan sounded slightly confused.

"Well sure. Slayers are genetically equipped to fight demons and vampires and stuff. Up until the last few years, slayers were all alone. Now, thanks to this little thing we like to call friendship, I'm never alone." He said offhandedly, shrugging.

"You guys have a strange world." Brennan shook her head as she looked back to the bodies.

"Yeah… I could say yours is weird too… but I will say this. It may be weird, but… to some of us, it's the only world we've ever known. And that's why we fight, to make it better. We can't just run off and join your world after what we've seen. We just have to stick with what the Powers gave us, and try to make it better." Chris pushed to his feet. He trotted up the stairs, leaving Brennan to think about what he said.

Willow looked up from the laptop as Amanda strolled by. Amanda set a bottle of soda next to her friend, who smiled gratefully.

"Almost done with re-writing that spell." Willow said as she opened the soda and took a long drink. Amanda shrugged and patted her shoulder.

"If I was better with computers, I'd help with the preparations here instead of down in the stores." Amanda said apologetically.

"No way. There's no freaking way you're coming near my computer again, not after last time." Willow stood and protectively wrapped herself around her laptop.

"Hey, I merely said if I were better I'd offer my support." Amanda lifted her hands as if to say don't shoot.

"Yeah well. You and computers are so not ever happening again, missy. I still can't figure out how you shorted out that last one to fry the surge protectors and melt the bank along the wall in the library." Willow's nose scrunched up and she relaxed from around the computer, though still wary around Amanda.

"Fine, well I won't even look at one!" Amanda said.

"That'd be great. See ya later." Willow said, getting back to work on the computer. Amanda sighed and trudged towards the door.

"That was kind of a joke, you know." Amanda called out half heartedly.

"I know Mandy, but it's just dangerous having you around circuits and plastic and wires." Willow sounded truly sorry her friend couldn't help, and that made Amanda brighten considerably.

"Well I'll go downstairs with the herbs and plants and… ick." Amanda groaned a bit as she trudged along. Willow barely glanced to the girl, fingers dancing on the keyboard once more.

"You know, Jews are supposed to avoid ham Mandy." Willow grinned to the screen of her computer as Amanda groaned, slamming the door to the library behind her.

Seeley was sitting in Angel's office, discussing strategies when Spike popped his head in, waving the cordless phone.

"I got some guy screaming conspiracy on the phone and wanting to talk to Booth or Brennan." Spike looked quite flushed, a little angry actually. Booth grabbed for the phone and was conversing with the caller. Angel stood and looked to Spike, who looked like someone had just dragged him fresh from a sparring session with Natalie. And their sparring hadn't been PG.

"What's wrong with a conspiracy now and again?" Angel's head tilted as he gathered the map he and Seeley had sketched out.

"Oh, it's all good and fine when it's WRONG. This ain't wrong mate, he got us pinned down to a tee. Underground vigilantes, rogue vampires killin' their own kind and shite." Spike flopped to a chair and fisted his hands in his short hair in frustration. Angel noticed he favored his ribs, his left eye was black, and he had numerous gouges down his face and on his left forearm.

"Booth'll handle that." Angel said as he looked down to the man who had after long while, become his friend. "You really should pin her left hand better. Girl's got a mean left hook."

"Yeah, I wonder who taught it to her mate." Spike shook his head as he pushed to his feet.

Natalie padded into the kitchen in a tiny little bikini, Willow and Amanda hovering at the archway. Brennan looked up from her computer to see multiple bruises spanning her back, a long set of nail scratches from her shoulder down to her hip, and a pair of handprints at the girls waist. Brennan sprung to her feet, gasping.

"Did you get into a fight?" Brennan exclaimed, rushing to Natalie who turned towards her, completely confused.

"Not recently…Why Tempe?" Natalie tossed a couple of cans toward her friends, and then began to walk out towards the hallway. "We're going swimming, do you want to come?" Natalie asked.

"No, and you should really get your injuries looked at." Brennan reached out to grab at Natalie, who stared at her like she was insane. Willow and Amanda snickered.

"I'll be fine within the hour." Natalie said.

"So if you didn't fight, what happened?" Brennan looked to the girls.

"She popped her man like warm champagne." Willow said helpfully, nudged by Amanda.

"You didn't tell me Faith was back in Sunnydale!" Amanda giggled at one of Faith's more colorful phrases.

"You… popped Spike like warm champagne? Does that mean you fought?" Brennan said slowly.

"Please don't make me explain this, Tempe." Natalie pleaded. Brennan narrowed her eyes and Natalie sighed. "I had sexual relations with my husband." Natalie admitted then escaped out the door, up the hallway and to the stairs to the pool.

Evening had rolled around and people were suiting up to go out on what Angel called a patrol. Willow was spouting off something so technical Brennan wasn't sure she was following while Booth just stood by the redhead, nodding occasionally and for all the world looked like he was actually paying attention. Brennan felt a flare of jealousy as she watched. Booth was never that nice to her squints. She reached out and tugged him over, away from Willow who shrugged and redirected her chatter towards Xander.

"As much as I love ya Wills, I don't understand what you're saying. English, por favor." Xander patted his friends shoulder. Brennan looked towards Booth, glaring up at him as menacingly as she could.

"You're never that nice to the squints." Brennan's lips pursed angrily after she finished speaking.

"Yeah, well. Squints are squints Bones, but this one is a best friend of family. Do you know what Anden will do to me if I'm rude?" Booths hands waved around, making a large arc over his head.

"Do you know what I'll do if you're not nicer to the squints?" She leaned in and whispered to him, relishing the way his face drained of blood as she pulled back.

"You're an evil woman Bones." Booth snapped his bulletproof vest into place and checked if he had extra clips for his gun. He patted his hands down himself, and then reached out to the Velcro on Brennan's vest, tugging at it to see if it would hold. Satisfied, he took a gun, her gun, out of a gun case and held it out to her.

"Now you don't pull this out and fire it at just anything Bones." He chided her softly as she grabbed for the gun, the gun he'd had to confiscate when she brandished it at the last suspect. She tucked it into her shoulder holster and tugged her coat over it.

"Fine Booth, I won't shoot at any innocents." She promised.

Spike came up with what looked like two metal collars hanging from his fingertips and pushed them at both Booth and Brennan.

"What are these?" Booth looked his over, feeling the heavy steel in his fingers.

"They're called gorgets. Angel said you gotta wear 'em cause you're not used to vampires. Won't be able to watch you two when we're out there, so they're just a little insurance." Spike turned to go.

"Wait. Where'd you get these?" Brennan asked as she tied the metal around her throat, and then motioned for Booth to do the same.

"Hey! Have you two been raiding my suits of armor again?" Natalie demanded as she skidded to a halt next to the three.

"Eh yeah, about that." Spike held his hands off to ward the smack from his incensed wife.

"They aren't toys. Though…" Natalie paused and looked at the two, her fingertips at her mouth as she reconsidered. "Yeah. You two should wear those."

"How come no one else wears em?" Booth demanded as he put it on, sulking all the while. Natalie helped him to tuck the leather ties down the back of his vest.

"I donno, we're used to fighting vampires?" Natalie snapped before she strode out the front door and hopped into the side seat of the Desoto.

After a lengthy complaint filled conversation they had finally gotten to the woods. Fanning out in a mostly quiet group, the warriors found the clearing full of revelers. Natalie crouched under a large tree, watching what seemed to be a dozen species of demons assisting a scattered group of warlocks and vampires drag a screaming, kicking girl to a makeshift alter by a large bonfire. The girls face tipped into the light, and the face of the slayer's younger sister came into view. Natalie stiffened, looking towards Angel who was a few feet away. He looked as if someone had sucker punched him, and as Natalie looked towards her left, Spike was holding a fighting Xander down to the brush. Spike shot a look to Natalie, who in turn looked to Angel who nodded. Natalie lifted a hand to Chris, who stood and moved into the light of the clearing. He stumbled a bit, and looked perfectly harmless as a drunken hiker.

"Hey guys!" he said as he moved past a cluster of stunned Frenor demons. "You guys haven't happened upon…Oh hi there Dawn." Chris moved towards the girl who suddenly stopped thrashing around. Angel took the moment to creep to Seeley, whispering softly to the man who knelt in the brush, pulling a rifle off his back. He stretched out, pushing the rifle to his shoulder and taking aim as the group converged on Chris. Chris kept still; knowing now was not the time to fight back.

"Now we have two sacrifices!" A purple robed man with a large golden mask over his face crowed.

Shots rang out through the din, muffled from the silencer on the rifle, but still there. Brennan stood over Booth as heads angled towards the tree line, picking off targets. Soon figures were running, but Angel and Spike shot out to meet them. Brennan ran out of bullets, shouting in frustration as she tucked the gun into her holster and dropped down next to Booth, even as Willow and Xander shot out, closely followed by Amanda from across the clearing, flying into the fray. After Natalie looked at Brennan and Booth, she too joined. Fists flew, blades glinting in the firelight.

Brennan shuddered as she watched the bloody ballet in front of her. The sparring sessions she had been a part of were nothing like this. Angel, Natalie, Spike and Amanda were in full form with opponent's bodies being tossed all around the clearing, inhuman growls echoing to split the relative quiet of the night. But still more amazing was Chris, the fluid grace of his movements as he spun and kicked and punched his way free from his captors, all the while sheltering the girl who clung to his side like glue. His arm would thrust out into the stomach of one warlock before sweeping to the side to pull the girl around as he moved. He would hold onto her shoulder as he spun into a roundhouse kick that snapped the neck of another warlock.

Turning her attention to the witch, Willow, Brennan watched her hair bleed to black as she rose a tiny bit in the air. An invisible wind blew around her, tossing her newly turned hair around her as she chanted spells to harm her foes.

And even Xander fought with a skill that was unequaled. His broadsword cleaved heads from demon bodies faster than she could keep up with. All in all, soon there were simply no more to be fought, and the group seemed shocked when they found that their newest opponents were their allies. Swords were lowered, hands and fists dropped to sides as the group straightened. But still they didn't relax. Brennan looked down to Booth who stood and shouldered his rifle once more. Brennan's attention was drawn to Angel, who spoke to the girl they had just rescued.

"Dawn, what are you doing here?" He demanded as he looked at the dirty, scared teenager. The girl stood straight up, stepping up to Angel and glaring him down even as he tried to intimidate her.

"What am I doing here? I was just going out to a movie and those… those jerks assaulted me, that's what they did!" the girl shouted as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Dawnie, I thought you went to UC Sunnydale." Willow said as she came over to hug the girl.

"I transferred to UCLA to get away from Buffy, queen over overbearing people." Dawn explained as she hugged the now red haired witch.

"Wait a second, you know this girl?" Booth said as he moved into the circle.

"She's the slayer's sister." Xander explained as he moved closer.

"Your sister?" Booth asked Chris. Brennan nodded to herself, it explained everything. The way Chris had protected her as he fought was very familiar, familiar with her as a person and not just familiar with protecting just anyone.

"No, not his sister. One of the other slayers." Willow said. Booth looked up to the sky as if to say, of course.

"I think we should take this back to the hotel." Spike said as he joined the group once more. Angel nodded and they trooped back to the cars.

As they got back to the hotel Angel, Spike and Natalie herded Dawn into a conference room and shut the door behind them. The rest went off to their various rooms, Booth and Brennan included. Brennan dropped into an armchair in their living room, relaxing there as her brain tried to process.

"Did you see the way they moved out there?" Booth plopped himself into a chair across from her and looked at her. Apparently the way they had seemed like this was an every day thing hadn't escaped his notice either. "Where'd they learn all this stuff?"

"They weren't joking when they said they were warriors." Brennan agreed as she studied her partner.

"They're just kids, Bones. It takes years of serious training and experience to know that stuff." Booth said. He looked sad at that fact.

"Kids, yes. Except for Angel and Spike. Spike's over a hundred years old, and Angel is more than two fifty." Brennan stated.

"I wonder how long." Booth sighed as he tried not to think of these kids as the only warriors they had against that world taking over the normal world.

"Chris said since he was twelve. Natalie has been fighting with her brother during her lives, and Xander and Willow since they were fifteen or so." Brennan answered.

"Really? How do you know?" Booth asked, lifting his head up as his interest was caught again.

"I asked them." Brennan said simply as she drank from a bottle of water she had pulled from her bag.

"That's enough time, I suppose. Why do they do it?" He asked.

"Chris said they fight because… it's the only world they know, and someone has to protect it." She answered. Booth shot her a dirty glare, and she shrugged.

"Rhetorical question, Bones." Booth said as he began to write on a notepad he pulled from his own bag. He had to write some sort of report, though it wouldn't exactly be correct. A knock on the door interrupted them, and Natalie's head poked through the door.

"Hey. Amanda, Willow and me are heading out tomorrow at Dawn to do the entrapment spell. The Phoenician will show up at Dawn to collect the heart of his sacrifice, and we'll trap him then. If you want, you can come. Coupla the others are taggin' along if you want." Natalie hitched a shoulder slightly.

"Do you want us there?" Booth asked.

"Only if you want to come. Should be pretty quiet, his followers aren't allowed to look upon him until the ten sacrifices are dead, and they only have the four, so…" Natalie nodded a bit.

"I would like to observe. It seems interesting, from an anthropologist's standpoint." Brennan piped up. Booth nodded to his partner, then to Natalie.

"We'll see you in the kitchen at 5:30." Booth agreed, and Natalie left. Brennan looked to her watch and stood.

"I'm gonna get some sleep. Five AM comes sooner than I hope." Brennan said. Booth nodded, standing as well.

"I'm gonna hit the hay too." He said.

"Goodnight Booth." Brennan said, but he was already shutting his door. She followed suit, shaking her head slowly as she tried to push the nights battle from her head.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer- Still not with the owning. Aw well, __theyre__ owned by their respective owners which are not me unless you don't recognize it, which… then I own them. _

Dawn came far too soon for Brennan, who entered the kitchen precisely at 5:30, only to find it occupied with three chipper, chirpy girls who were discussing the orders of the casting. Brennan was startled to see the girls wearing robes, though Amanda had explained the robes were not necessary. Brennan lifted a brow as she poured a cup of coffee, and Willow looked at her.

"Ritual requires us to be skyclad." She explained. Brennan tilted her head until the girl explained it meant naked. Brennan sat at the table and studied the girls, who each wore a robe.

Willow wore a robe of deep purpley blue, tailored like a dress. It had long sleeves to the wrist, with a high neck. It was formal, like an old Victorian dress. Natalie's robe was a royal blue, tailored like a dress again, but with a modest scoop neckline, like a tee shirt, and sleeves that brushed her elbow. The skirt was full and sweeping, less formal than Willow's. Amanda's robe was shorter, once again tailored to a dress and flowing to the knees. The neckline scooped across her breasts, showing more than a hint of cleavage, the sleeves capped and the color just the barest hint of blue. Brennan understood that they portrayed Maiden, Mother and Crone. All three were barefoot, and had satchels at their feet. Spike strode into the kitchen and nodded.

"Well, ya'll ready to go?" Spike asked, resting a hand on Natalie's shoulder. Natalie looked up, her hand coming up to cover Spike's hand for a moment before she nodded.

"All ready to kick old wrinkly wannabe's ass." Willow chirped as the three stood. The three strapped on what looked to be belts woven from rope, and then each hefted satchel and a sword Brennan had not noticed before. Brennan stood and followed them to a car, climbing in with the rest of them. The car trip did not seem to take as long as it did the previous night. The three girls shouted out the lyrics to some obnoxious song, which surprised Brennan. She thought they would have been more serious about what would take place, until Spike's eyes met hers over the seat. He shrugged as if apologizing.

"It's their way of accepting." He said, shrugging again as he looked out the window. He seemed bothered by their morning attitudes, and just flipped his sunglasses down.

They arrived and piled out of the car, making their way to the clearing a few moments before dawn. Spike took a seat under a tree and stretched out, closing his eyes. Brennan sat next to him. Earlier, she had been bothered by the caustic vampire, but she soon learned he was a big fanged teddy bear, a term Natalie had shouted at him during one of their many arguments. Brennan had been surprised at how well everything had gone. She was still amazed by the way the three girls seemed to communicate without words. It reminded her of her partnership with Booth, she supposed. There was simply no explanation, it just…worked.

The three moved, dropping satchels just a few feet from where they gathered. Each drew sword from their belt, lifted to point the tips towards the sky. The tips of the swords brushed across one another as they moved, first clockwise, then into a complicated dance routine, weaving and spinning throughout each other, the tips of the swords still touching. Finally they stopped, and pulled back, the swords staying united, hovering in the air. The girls moved, voices lifting as each identified themselves with their role of Mother, Crone and finally Maiden. And then they went skyclad, the robes lifting off of them and resting outside the circle they had opened. A portal opened, had Brennan goggling as a being descended, swathed in light. The swords were at the epicenter of the portal. The being was… old, she saw. Not the wrinkly kind of old, the kind of old where his bone structure was from a millennia old being. Olive skinned, dark haired. Definitely Phoenician, which is why they called him that, she thought.

He spoke, but Brennan was not meant to hear the conversation. She saw as the three grasped their swords, saw each of the girls' power melting off of them, channeling through the swords and into the being, who was pushed forcefully back into his portal, and the swords looking as if it cauterized the portal opening. A blinding force burst from the swords and when it cleared, the girls were seated, dressed in their robes, looking pale and tired. Spike stood then, motioning to Brennan who also stood, following him. He helped each of the three up, and with Brennan's help, ushered them back to the car. By the time they got back to the hotel they had chippered again, but it was tense for Brennan, who didn't quite understand the power used from those spells came from the girls.

They arrived back at the hotel, but as soon as they entered the elevator from the garage to the lobby, they felt something was amiss. Amanda was shifting from foot to foot and Willow was twisting her fingers. Natalie's lips had pursed, her face even paler than before, her large eyes looking bigger under the harsh false light. The elevator door opened, and the sight that greeted them was not happy. Fox was laying over a prone Chris, who looked… downright awful, Brennan thought. Angel was restraining a short man with wild red hair, who was fighting against Angel as if his life depended on it. Natalie and Amanda flew from the elevator to kneel on either side of Chris, who as Brennan saw as she got closer, was pale and unmoving. Chris was dead. Natalie pulled Fox to her lap, who threw his arms around her neck and sobbed. She wrapped her arms around her son, her shoulders shaking. Amanda had her hands over Chris's. Someone had taken the time to straighten out the boy's neck, his left arm. His left leg was almost impossibly straight. It too had been broken, from what Brennan concluded to be a car accident. Booth was on the other side of Angel, slapping the red haired man into cuffs, who had gotten even rowdier once he had seen the girls on Chris' body.

"David McKay, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be used against you in a court of law." Booth recited.

"I had a right to kill him! He was the devils child like her, just like you all!" The man crowed as he struggled again. He lashed out, catching Booth behind the knee and knocking him down. Another kick had Angel stumbling, but he didn't go down. The man launched himself at Chris's body, angling himself towards Natalie, and Brennan cried out. Natalie's head came up and she stood, pushing Fox behind her. Her hands came up to ward off the attack, but the man never got there. Spike had two fists full of the mans shirt, hauling the shorter man up face to face with him.

"You've caused her enough damage for enough lifetimes, Davey boy." Spike warned. He hauled him up higher, over his head now, growling deeply in his chest. "Don't touch my wife again."

With that, Spike set the man on his feet and shoved him towards Booth, who grasped the man firmly. Booth nodded to Bones who stepped back into the elevator. Her last glance before the doors closed was Spike holding a crying Natalie, who was holding a crying Fox. Angel had come over and completed the family picture, and then the doors shut, leaving Brennan choked up as well.

Angel looked at his sister from across the table. She was still wrapped up in Spike, which still slightly bothered him.

"He got back here… David wasn't long after him. Chris had gone out to get us all a celebration breakfast." Amanda and Natalie smiled a watery smile, sniffling. "David had been on his way here, after finally finding us…again. He saw Chris, shouted all sorts of things at him, and ran into him with the car. Nearly killed Chris there. Chris barely made it to the lobby; Dave there ran after him and jumped on him. Snapped his neck right in front of me. Chris wouldn't have made it anyways. Dave there got him pretty good with that damn boat he drives." Angel's face twisted with hate as he recalled the scene he had witnessed.

"David was mad that you had friends, support when he cast you out on your own." Angel continued. "It ate at him, I guess. He was going to kill you for good this time, he swore." He sighed.

"I guess it's ironic. Chris was the slayer, and what does he get brought down by? Some stupid, narrow minded human with a big car. All those apocalypses, and he gets killed by a car." Amanda said wryly.

"Our first casualty." Natalie sniffled, burying her face back into Spike's shirt. She had known Chris longer than Amanda, though… Amanda and Chris had recently begun a relationship. Amanda just dealt with her grief better than Natalie, who just turned to a sobbing mess.

"I even miss the wanker." Spike grumbled to Angel, who nodded.

"I will miss him." Angel admitted as well. Although the boy had often driven him up one wall and down the other, he had been a part of the team, an essential part, full of life and the humanity that they strove to protect.

"We'll fight for him, fight to remember his memory." Amanda promised as she stood and left the room. Booth and Brennan entered then, sitting down at the table. Booth rubbed his palms over his eyes, now bloodshot.

"Ole Davey boy had a visitor. The visitor plunged a glass knife through his heart." Booth gritted out. Natalie gave a soft gasp, then looked to Angel, who grumbled.

"So.. well at least the bloody maniac's off our tail." Spike put in helpfully.

"It might help us. Booth, you were having a hard time playing this off, weren't you? So call him a cult serial killer." Brennan offered.

"It might work, but we would need Natalie's permission. It was her father, after all." Booth said. Brennan looked surprised to Booth, then Natalie.

"You didn't tell me it was her father." Brennan said, upset to be left out of the loop.

"Just… Make it work, Seeley. Just get this all behind us." Natalie said with a grim look on her face.

And Booth did.

In the end, the Special Agent and his squint got their bad guy. The Warriors lost an important member; most importantly they lost a friend. But for another morning the sun rose, perfect and bright to warm the city that was slowly becoming overrun with the baddies of the world.

And yet, the beautiful people had no idea their Warriors protected them, and slept safely in their beds that night, kept safe by a group of children. Warrior Children. Outcast children who had no place in the world they protected.

Sleep well, you wonderfully naïve people, Natalie whispered as she followed the other Children, out to protect the world another night.


End file.
